Shipping container



Nov. 13, 1935. J. c. MILLER SHIPPING CONTAINER FilechApril 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

INVENTOR JIZCM HIS ATTORNEYS Nov. 13, 1934. Y J. c. MILLER Q 1,980,283

SHIPPING CONTAINER FiledxApIil 9, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a A M I I\ wz mvsm'oa 76 @7291? n CW HIS ATTO RNEYS Patented Nov. 13, 1934 1,980,283

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,986,283 SHIPPING CONTAINER Julien C. Miller, Paducah, Ky., assignor to Paducah Box and Basket Company, Paducah, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Application April 9, 1934, Serial No. 719,764

4 Claims. I (01. 217-40) This invention relates to improvements inconand combinations and arrangements of parts, an tainers, such as shipping crates, and particularly as will hereinafter be more fully described and the a crate used for shipping a plurality of fruit renovel features thereof particularly pointed out in ceptacles or berry baskets. Primarily, the object the appended claims.

6 of the invention is to provide a shipping crate, In the accompanying drawings,

especially a crate used for shipping strawberries Figure 1 is a perspective view of' a crate conand like fruit, wherein all likelihood of the berries structed in accordance with the present invenbeing damaged by being cut or bruised is elimition; nated. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the Heretofore, it has been common practice in crate in a plane just above one of the dividers; o5 crates for strawberries and the like to place indi- Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the vidual receptacles, usually quart baskets, in the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; crate, layer upon layer, with each layer spaced Fig. 4'is a transverse sectional view on the line from the adjacent layer or layers by partition or 4- of Fig. 3;

l5 divider members, and in a great many instances Fig. 5 is a perspective view-of one of the 70 these partitions or dividers have been provided baskets;

with'transverse ribs adapted to rest upon the rims Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the of juxtaposed baskets, so as to space the divider basket; and from the fruit in the baskets. In crates such as Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the these, the transverse ribs cannot be maintained partition or divider members. i 75 in position on the rims of the baskets, but, due So far as outside configuration is concerned, toa slight movement of the dividers, these ribs the crate is like the ordinary crate in common impinge upon and bruise or cut the berries. In"-' use today, and, of course, its dimensions will accomplishing the principal object of the lnvendepend upon the number and size of the indition, i. e., protecting the fruit, the present crate vidual receptacles or berry baskets that are to be 3o is provided with dividers or partition members packed therein. The major portion of the crate that are supported on the baskets themselves in may also be of any desired construction, it only such fashion as to prevent damage to the fruit, being essential that its opposite vertical walls be regardless of any movement of the dividers in a provided with openings such as indicated at 11;

horizontal plane. More, specifically,- the inven- Preferably, the crate has its side walls 10 and 5 tion contemplates berry baskets having projecend walls 12 formed of strips or slats secured to tions at opposite sides or ends thereof extending corner posts 13 and reinforced at the exterior by above the rim at the top of "the baskets and' divertically disposed strips 14. The top l5,'as well vider members of such length or breadth as to as the bottom, may be solid and, if desired,

extend beyondthe extremities of. the layers of provided with suitable reinforcing members. 90

baskets in a crate, so as to be firmly supported The berry baskets themselves are preferably 1 on the basket projections, the height of the prof rm d f two pi s f thin w d t, as sh wn jections above the basket rims being such as to in Figs- 5 a d to form the bottom the Sides afford the desired protection to the fruit in the 17 and the ends 18, the ends 18 adjacent the baskets, upper extremities and the upper extremitiesof 95 Furthermore, to insure against slippage of any the sides 17 being reinforced or attached to strips edge of the dividerofi of the basket projections of material 9 which constitute the rim of the by which it is supported, the corners of the dibasket. It will be observed that portions of the viders are recessed to accommodate the strucd member-S P j above the r m 19, contural parts or corner standards of the crate stitutin pr j ns 20, p f y u d d atm proper, so that the dividers can project through th ir rn rs 0* a d ut away in rm diate openings in two opposite vertical walls of the their ends. as at 21, to facilit handling the crate, with the result that there is an ample overbaskets d t0 p e i better Ventilation. hang, so to speak, of the divider beyond opposite e v de members wn in are prefextremities of a layer of baskets, whereby it will erably formed of a plura ty of t ps 0 s ats 22 5 be impossible for the dividers to slip off the basket secured at th i nds t r ss m m s 23. the projections and be depressed against fruit in the vertical walls of the crate and these partition baskets. members being formed of spaced'strips not only With these and other objects in view, the in-- for other purposes which will hereinafter apvention consists in certain details of construction pear, but alSQ to provide proper ventilation of the contents of the crate and easy inspection of the contents. 1

.When the requisite number of baskets is assem bled in a crate, the baskets are disposed in layers therein, with one of the divider members being.

interposed between each two contiguous layers,

as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In'view of the fact that the projections on the baskets prevent the cover 15 coming in contact with the berries, a divider member is not necessary for the top layer. As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the divider member interposed between two superposed layers of baskets rests on the projections 20 of the layer of baskets immediately beneath it and, as shown in Figs. 2- and 3, two opposite- 'to accommodate the comer post 13 of the crate.

In other words, the ends of the dividers do not have to terminate at the inner surfaces of the corner posts, but may project beyond those posts through the openings 11 so as to overhang, to a considerable extent, the outer sides of the baskets constituting the ends of any one layer of baskets. In this wa accidental displacement of the extremities of the divider'oflf or the comparatively.

thin side walls 01- the baskets, under which circumstances the divider could impingeupon the fruit. in the baskets, is absolutely prevented.

The cros members 23 oif the dividers will, of

course, provide additional clearance between the dividers proper and fruit in the baskets, but this is The projections 20 of the baskets attord ample clearance. In fact, as shown in the drawings, the pieces 23 are or no appreciable thicknesscorresponding to the thickness of the slats 22 or the dividers. In other words, where the divider is composed ofslats, for ventilation purposes, the cross pieces 23 need only be'oi' athickness to give it suflicient strength to standup ordinary usage, as ample clearance {or protecting the fruit will be afforded by. the projections 20 of the bmets.

-Fromthei .'oregoing,itwillbeseentliat the peculiar formation oi. the baskets and dividers permit them to ,be combined or, arranged with respect to one another, in such a fashion as to abmlutely preclude any damage to the fruit by pressure being placed upon the fruit in the baskets by the dividers. Other advantages that might be enumerated are that no top divider is necessaryand there is decidedly more ventilation of the fruit in the baskets. Inspection of the fruit, without uncrating, is also had withwgreater case. What is more important is that each and every basket is firmly orsteadiIy-P S tiOned in the crate, .due to the fact that the" weight of the upper baskets is supported by the baskets beneath them, and anotherimportant advantage is that,

" by having the dividers supported on the baskets themselves and not on the crow-piece by which the vertical walls are formed, no great .care need be exercised; in determining the positions of they wall pieces. In other words, the positions of the dividers are determined by the upper extremities of the basket projections 20, and it is only neces sary to provide spaces of suflicient width or height in the end walls of the crate. It will also be obvious that no great degree of accuracy is required in recessing the corners of the dividers.

What is claimed is: 1. In combination, a shipping crate for fruit receptacles such as berry baskets, said crate having vertical side and end walls with openings in said end walls, baskets adapted to be arranged intwo superposed layers in said crate, vertical projections extendingabove the rims of said baskets, anda divider or partition member interposed between said two superposed layers of baskets, said divider being supported entirely by said vertical projections on the baskets, the ends of said divider constituting extended bearing surfaces for the projections of the baskets, said bearing surfaces extending beyond said projections into the openings in the end walls of the crate.

2. In combination, a shipping crate for fruit receptacles such as berry baskets, said crate having vertical-side and end walls with openings in the two end walls, corner posts at the angles .formed by the side walls, baskets arranged in superposed layers in. said crate, a divider or partition member interposed between the two layers, the length of said divider exceeding the length of a layer or baskets and the corners ,of said divider being removed to permit the ends of said divider to extend into'the end wall openings, and projections extending above the rims of said baskets,

said divider and ,the layer of baskets imposedupon'it being supported solely on the projections of the layer of baskets beneath it.

3. In combination,- a shipping crate for fruit receptacles such as berry baskets, said crate having vertical side and end walls with openings in two opposite walls, baskets adapted to be arranged in two superposed layers in said crate, vertical projections extending above the rims of said baskets, and a divider 'nember interposed between saidtwo superposed layers of baskets, said divider being supported entirely by said vertical projections on the baskets intermediate the two opposite apertured walls of the crate, two opposite extremities or said divider constituting extended bearing surfaces iorthe projections of the baskets, said bearing surfaces extending beyond said projections into the openings in the said two oppo- .4. In combination, a shipping crate for fruit site walls or the crate.

receptacles such as berry baskets, said crate having vertical side and end walls, baskets adapted to be. arranged in two superposed layers in said crate, vertical projections extendingabove the rims 01 said baskets, and a. divider member interposed between said -two superposed layers of baskets, said divider being supported by the vertical projections of the baskets beneath it in spaced relation to fruit in the lower baskets, the weight oi said divider and basket carried: thereon holding the baskets of said lower layer substantially stationary in the crate, and two extremities .or said divider .jconstituting extended extending an appreciable distance beyond two opposite boundaries of the lower layer of baskets whereby said extremities the baskets, two opposite walls 01. the crate having .spaces provided therein to accommodate the extending extremities of said divider.

JULIENC.MILLER.

at be depressed against fruit in 

